It is generally acknowledged that an operator's headset should provide good fidelity in both transmission and reception, and should be so unobtrusive when worn as to constitute no hindrance or distraction to the operator. Headsets have evolved from bulky, uncomfortable headphones which clamped to the cranium, to lightweight miniature headsets which clip to the ear or to eyeglasses. In the state of the art, the transducers are placed in a housing which is clipped behind the ear, with tubes leading from the transducers to the mouth and auditory meatus of the operator. Alternatively, the housing is clamped to the temple bar of a head bracket which resembles an eyeglass frame, with the same sort of tubes used to conduct the sound to and from the transducers.
In practice, the eyeglass frame head bracket is uncomfortable and unweildy. The housing disposed behind the ear tends to hang on the helix of the ear in an annoying fashion, and the tube extending into the meatus is also irritating. In both cases, the headsets must be manufactured in left and right ear models.